Equalizer



, H. ROCKWELL.

EQUALIZER. APPLICATION FILED DEL [1918. I Patented Dec. 27, 1921 WM N V V W H rein.

HUGE 1a. noonwnnn or new navnn, connncrrcur, Assrenon, BY MESNE ASSIGN- nrnn'rs, TO THE Man-Lin FIREARMS GGZs-PORATI OF NEW HAVEN, NE I- OUT, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

EQUALIZER.

Specification of Letters "Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, HUGE M. ROCKWELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Equalizer, of which the following is a specification.

It is now a practice to provide an automatic gun on airplanes for use by the observer. This gun is usually mounted on a turret arrangement in such a way that the gun support may be rotated around the observers pit. Some form of locking means is provided to lock the support in any desired position on the periphery of the observers pit.

It has been found difficult to quickly move the gun support from one position to another and lock it in the desired position, due to the wind pressure on the gun and the support caused by the rapid flight of the plane. When in flight it is practically impossible for the observer to release the gun support from its position and quickly register upon a target. The wind pressure on thegun either too strongly resists the movement or else too greatly assists The object of this invention is to overcome this tendency and to provide an equalizing means whereby the effect of the wind pressure will be nullified. To accomplish this, vane is mounted on the carriage carrying the gun support at a point diametrically opposite the gun and is of such a size as to present a surface area approximately that of the gun and its support. Thus, when moving the support to a new position, it is necessary only to overcome the friction of the gun carriage, and the wind pressure has practically no effect.

It is the aim in airplanes to reduce to a minimum any surface which would affect the speed of the plane due to the wind pressure thereon, and as it is, often desirable to carry the gun at right angles to the direction of flight, when not in action, the vane would increase the surface against which the wind would act. To counteract this, the vane is so mounted that it may be set either in the same plane as the gun, or in'a plane at right angles thereto, depending upon whether it is desired to use the equalizing effect or not.

Referring now to the drawings,-

Figure l is a perspective view of a turret showing a gun and the equalizer;

1? 1g. 2 is a detail view of the equalizer; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a equalizer support.

1 is a circular track on which slides the carnage 2. The gun support 3 carries the gun 4 and is rigidly attached to the carriage 2. A. locking means 5 is provided on the carriage for holding the same in fixed relation to the track.

Diametrically opposite from the gun support on the carriage is the bracket 6 having the sleeve 7 formed thereon. This sleeve is closed at one end. The shaft 8 extends into the sleeve and its inner end bears against the expansion spring 9 contained in the sleeve. Carried by the shaft 8 is a pin 10 which extends through the slot 11 in the sleeve. This slot is transverse to the axis of the shaft 8 and extends over an arc of 90.

portion of the At either end of the slot are sockets 12 at right angles to the slot. Carried by the rear end of the shaft is the vane 13.

The shaft and vane are locked in either one of two positions,-said positions being at right angles to each other,by the engagement of the pin 10 with either of the sockets 12, this engagement being caused by the spring 9. To change the vane from one posi tion to the other, the observer grasps it at the rear end, pushes the shaft in against the action of the spring, turns the vane, and then allows the spring to throw the shaft rearwardly.

Thus, it is seen that T have devised an equalizing means which is simple in structure and operation and efiiciently aids the gunner to easily and quickly bring the gun support into the desired position. It, fun thermore, is of such a character that it may be so positioned as to be brought into a position to decrease the total resistance of the gun mount structure.

I claim as my invention:

1. A gun mount for airplanes comprising a rotatable member, a gun support on said member, and a vane carried by said member, said vane having a surface area sufiicient to equalize the effect of the wind pressure against the gun support and gun carried thereby When the airplane is in flight.

2. A gun mount for airplanes comprising a rotatable member, a gun support on said member, means for equalizing the effect of the Wind pressure against the gun support and gun carried thereby When the airplane is in motion, and means to render said firstnamed means operative or inoperative as desired.

3. A gun mount for airplanes comprising a rotatable member, a gun support on said member, and a vane carried by said member, said vane having a surface area sufiicient to equalize the effect of the Wind pressure against the gun support and gun carried thereby when the airplane is in flight, and being movable into or out of operative position.

4. A gun mount for airplanes comprising a rotatable member, a gun support on said member, a bracket carried by said rotatable member, a bracket carried by said rotatable member, a shaft rotatably-mounted in said bracket, a vane on said bracket of a surface area sufficient to equalize the effect of the Wind pressure against the gun support and gun carried thereby When the airplane is in motion, and means to hold the shaft indifferent positions.

HUGH M. ROCKWELL. 

